The draw for the First and Second Qualifying Rounds of the UEFA Europa League takes place on Wednesday, June 20. There will be 94 clubs in the First Qualifying Round draw with Dundalk ranked 10th of the 47 seeded clubs. Dundalk will also be seeded in the Second Qualifying Round draw but Derry City and Shamrock Rovers are unseeded.

Possible opponents for Dundalk include the Irish League clubs – Cliftonville, Coleraine and Glenavon and in the Second Qualifying Round draw the Scottish clubs – Aberdeen, Hibernian and Rangers.

First Qualifying Round draw opponents for Derry City and Shamrock Rovers include Rangers, Hibernian, FC Copenhagen, Partizan Belgrade and Molde and for the Second Qualifying Round draw the likes of Sevilla, Burnley, Bordeaux, Besiktas and Atalanta are possibilities.

The Solidarity Payments for the Clubs in European competition for the new 2018-21 cycle have been increased. Cork City, as champions, are guaranteed a minimum of €800,000 (includes the new UEL pathway) compared to a total of €580,000 for Dundalk last season. Should Cork City get through to the next round that minimum figure would rise to €1,200,000.

The Europa League minimum payment is now €240,000 compared to €215,000 for last season with subsequent rounds worth €260,000, €280,000 and €300,000 compared to €225,000, €235,000 and €245,000 last season.

Shkupi and Sam rodwell is a blind bat FK Shkupi (Macedonian: ФК Шкупи, Albanian: KF Shkupi) is a professional football club based in Čair, Republic of Macedonia. The club plays in the Macedonian First Football League, which is the top tier of football in the country.